With several big studios skipping the ‘Con this year, has Hollywood lost interest in comic fans?
Blogs have been a-buzz since the New York Times published a
story last month warning of the absence of movie studios at Comic-Con. Should fans be worried?
Not at all.
Of course, it’s true that Disney, DreamWorks, and Warner
Brothers have all decided not to stage big presentations for films at this
year’s Comc-Con. Recent films haven’t
lived up to expectations and the poor performance of films such as “Sucker
Punch” and to some extent “Tron: Legacy” probably influenced the decision to
skip San Diego.
But Hollywood hasn’t forsaken Comic-Con. Not by a long shot.
Paramount
is bringing “The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn”, Twentieth
Century Fox will have “Rise of the Planet of the Apes.” Even Universal, who’s film “Scott Pilgrim vs.
the World” famously underperformed last year, is giving Comic-Con another shot
this year with a big premiere for “Cowboys vs. Aliens.”
In fact, the absence of some bigger studios may mean more room for projects that make more sense for Comic-Con. TV shows can really benefit from the summertime buzz for shows set to debut in the fall, and more room for smaller studios could mean more room for cult films. And cult has always been right at home at Comic-Con.
So the big ‘Con in America’s
Finest City will likely hold on to its role as
a touchstone for pop culture importance for quite a while.
And anyway, there will be plenty of our favorites there. Nickelodeon and DreamWorks Animation will be there with “The Penguins of Madagascar: The Return of the Revenge of Dr. Blowhole.” Entertainment Weekly will bring together Jon Favreau and Guillermo del Toro discussing the future of pop culture. And all of us at Curio & Co. will be jockeying to see who gets to go to the “Big Bang Theory” panel!
Just remember to take a break from all those great panels before your head pops. Stop by and see us – we’ll be at booth P-5. See you soon!
